What is the cost of all Labour's enquiries?

This current government is all HUI and NO DOEY. Just look at the number of enquiries that it has initiated so far - and at what cost. This is just a lolly scramble for its Labour Party hacks.

1. 31 October 2017 Review of Whanau Ora.

2. 3 November 2017 Investigation into circumstances around former Waikato DHB boss Nigel Murray.

3. 5 November 2017 Govt reviews six contracts for new charter schools.

4. 5 November 2017 Govt review to look at how to control prison population.

5. 17 November 2017 Youth advisory group on education.

6. 21 November 2017 Review of Christchurch Regeneration Anchor Projects.

7. 23 November 2017 Tax Working Group.

8. 25 November 2017 Housing stocktake report.

9. 5 December 2017 New Ministerial Advisory Group on Health.

10. 7 December 2017 Crown Irrigation Review.

11. 7 December 2017 Investigation into potentially contaminated water.

12. 13 December 2017 Government inquiry into fuel pipe outage at Marsden Point.

13. 13 December 2017 KiwiFund member’s bill to establish an independent working group.

14. 14 December 2017 Review into NCEA system.

15. 15 December 2017 Digital Advisory Group.

16. 18 December 2017 Climate Commission.

17. 18 December 2017 Continue to review New Zealand’s copyright law.

18. 18 December 2017 Government plans review of kauri dieback programm

19. 19 December 2017 Independent Expert Advisory panel to review ReserveBank Act.

20. 19 December 2017 New Chief Technology Officer role created.

21. December 2017 Review of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance A

22. 10 January 2018 Local Government rates inquiry.

23. 15 January 2018 Primary Growth Partnership review.

24. 19 January 2018 Review of Waste Minimisation Act.

25. 23 January 2018 Mental Health Inquiry.

26. 23 January 2018 Joint Working Group on Pay Equity Principles reconvened.

27. 29 January 2018 Film Industry Working Group.

28. 31 January 2018 Pike River Recovery Agency.

29. 31 January 2018 Small Business Advisory Group.

30. 1 February 2018 State Care Abuse Royal Commission.

31. 2 February 2018 NZ aid spending review planned.

32. 8 February 2018 Review of Electricity Sector.

33. 9 February 2018 Working group formed to tackle Auckland housing crisis.

34. 13 February 2018 Independent review into National Bowel Screening programme.

35. 15 February 2018 Review of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act.

36. 16 February 2018 Review into whistleblower laws.

37. 16 February 2018 Justice Minister Andrew Little takes on abortion law reform.

38. 21 February 2018 Review into culture at the Human Rights Commission.

39. 21 February 2018 Three Year Review into Education System.

40. 22 February 2018 World Digital Rights Working Group.

41. 23 February 2018 Upper North Island Supply Chain strategy development. (Ports review)

42. 25 February 2018 Public Media Advisory Group.

43. 1 March 2018 Independent Ministerial Advisor to speed up EQC claims.

44. 2 March 2018 Australia-New Zealand review into how to work better together.

45. 2 March 2018 Joint NZ-AUS project to boost trans-Tasman exports.

46. 7 March 2018 Bid to host International Working Group on Women in Sport in 2022.

47. 7 March 2018 Comprehensive review of Charities Act.

48. 8 March 2018 Working Group to develop solutions to freedom camping.

49. 8 March 2018 Review of New Zealand’s insurance laws.

50. 13 March 2018 Shane Jones reveals the panel who will help steer the $3b provincial growth fund.

51. 15 March 2018 Review to weigh up tobacco tax.

52. 16 March 2018 A broader digital economy and inclusion network.

53. 17 March 2018 Andrew Little announces a review into the Family Court.

54. 17 March 2018 Review of legal aid is planned.

55. 19 March 2018 Hui to help shape Crown/Maori Relations.

56. 19 March 2018 Review of the Residential Tenancies Act.

57. 19 March 2018 A new Future Technology Leadership Group.

58. 20 March 2018 Review of the Threat Management Plan (TMP) for Hector’and Maui dolphins.

59. 20 March 2018 Independent inquiry into EQC.

60. 21 March 2018 Review the Defence Capability plan.

61. 26 March 2018 Set up a Criminal Cases Review Commission.

62. 26 March 2018 Creation of a committee for monetary policy decisions.

63. 26 March 2018 Ardern urges DHB’s to establish ‘independent panel’ to reach settlement.

64. 29 March 2018 Govt to hold road safety summit.

65. 4 April 2018 Vehicle recall monitoring group.

66. 5 April 2018 Early Learning Strategic Plan Ministerial Advisory Group.

67. 5 April 2018 Early Learning Strategic Plan Reference Group.

68. 9 April 2018 Review of a new trade policy.

69. 9 April 2018 MBIE future of work.

70. 11 April 2018 Operation Burnham Inquiry.

71. 12 April 2018 Refresh of the Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan.

72. 12 April 2018 Australian racing expert to review NZ racing industry.

73. 16 April 2018 Establishment of IGIS Reference Group.

74. 17 April 2018 Interim Climate Change Committee Announced.

75. 18 April 2018 Criminal Justice Summit.

SH2 must start construction this year

Current BOP Regional Councillor

Please note that views expressed in this column are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect Regional Council policy.

SH2 MUST START CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR

State Highway 2 (from Tauranga to Katikati) is one of New Zealand’s most dangerous roads. We all know it, yet the current Labour/NZ First/Greens coalition government just isn’t listening. In 2017 the then National Government had agreed the highest priority in terms of both safety and road efficiency and effectiveness for this road. The funds ($520m) were allocated for a construction start in 2018. This work was going to start with the four laning of a new highway from Route K (Tauranga) to west of Te Puna.

Our 2 local List Labour MPs went to a meeting in Omokoroa on 5th March, and blamed NZTA for not funding this work – wrong. It is this current government that has put the breaks on this essential motorway. Labour won’t commit the funding, preferring trains and bikes – but our residents keep dying and being maimed while we wait. Shame on you – Labour/NZ First/Greens.

The Regional Land Transport Committee is equally to blame. This is not a Regional Council Committee, although the Chair (Stuart Crosby) and Deputy Chair (Jane Nees) are both BOP Regional Councillors, and the committee is administered by the Regional Council. Their Proposed RLT Plan 2018 is out for consultation, and it doesn’t highly prioritise this dangerous road (just No 11 – behind Rotorua’s Airport route, a cycle action plan, and public transport route prioritisation).

We can’t wait for this route upgrade – how many lives have to be lost before we see action. Step up Angie Warren-Clark, Jan Tinetti and Clayton Mitchell - you represent this current government. A few safety improvements (between Waihi and Omokoroa, with wide centrelines, side barriers and minor upgrades) won’t cut it. Western Bay residents are fuming mad, and who could blame them. They are the ones burying their dead.

How many deaths are acceptable…

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me at andrew@vond.co.nz, visit www. vond.co.nz, or just give me a call on 021-762 440.

Public Transpot a big issue

Our Tauranga City Ratepayers are frustrated with a costly bus system that just isn’t working. There has been copious workshops both at Tauranga City Council (whose responsibility is the roading infrastructure and physical bus-stops) and at the Regional Council (whose responsibility is the bus operations - including the school bus service), but seven months after the last local government elections, there is no sign of real change. Sure in 2018 there will be a new bus contract, and that will include the introduction of an integrated ticketing system (that records when passengers get on and when they get off), but the public want action now – not in another 18 months.

We can’t operate an effective and efficient service without good data (knowing where our passengers are travelling from and to), but this was meant to happen in 2010… not 2018. I get the feeling that our staff aren’t really listening to their elected councillors. An example is that their insistence on going out to the public with a plan for a 10 or 15 minute service between downtown Mount and the Tauranga Hospital on Cameron Road. Certainly you need buses crossing the bridge from the Mount to the CBD at high frequency at the start and end of the business day, but high frequency throughout middle of the day would see a lot of empty buses crossing the bridge!

For me, we urgently need to establish a high frequency bus system along the full length of Cameron Road (from the Domain through to at least Greerton – not just to the hospital). This would be a great start, but it has to go hand in hand with an electronic real-time bus timetable at the bus stops (that tell you exactly when the next bus will arrive). It may be that this also uses a free app on your phone, but unless passengers can be assured that they will get to where they want to go on time, then they won't use our bus services. None of this will be effective unless Tauranga City spent the money on our roading system, that includes a priority lane at peak times for our buses. It isn’t “rocket science”, and we need a commitment to do it now. Otherwise we will continue to have a lot of under-utilised buses, and continued ratepayer dissatisfaction.

If you have a view on these or any other local government issues, I invite you to email me.